Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella admits Windows Phone failed

Administrator

10:01, June 19, 2016

Despite the fact that Microsoft has reiterated its commitment to Windows phones on several occasions so far, there are people out there still questioning the company’s mobile strategy, criticizing especially the rather tight-lipped approach that leaves us with almost no clue as to what’s supposed to happen next for those still part of the ecosystem.

Rumor has it that no other Lumia devices will be released, with Microsoft deciding just to support the Windows 10 Mobile ecosystem and to focus on what could be the Surface Phone, a flagship device coming as soon as the spring of 2017.

In the meantime, Microsoft claims that Windows 10 Mobile is still alive, but this still doesn’t stop CEO Satya Nadella from admitting that the company failed in the mobile industry.

In comments made after announcing the acquisition of LinkedIn, Satya Nadella has explained that Microsoft is still focused on mobile efforts, even though the previous strategy failed.

“It is no question that we really missed the mobile one, therefore we understand it, we have a particular position in mobile today which is more about enterprise and where we can have more security, more management, more productivity, we will focus on that, but we are on to the next big thing,” he says.

Furthermore, he has also commented on the future of Windows, reiterating words that he has been saying on pretty much every occasion: Windows is no longer just an operating system, but a service, and this is where the company needs to focus in the coming years.

“We are not building an operating system for just a single device, when I think about even Windows 10, the way we conceptualized it is, we are building an operating system for the user across all the devices. It is a service, that is how I think of it. Windows update is probably the biggest service we have because it touches 1.5 billion machines every day, and our goal is to really change what is the definition of an operating system, and operating systems for personal computing are always about inventing the next big change in input/output,” he continues.

Microsoft’s Windows 10 strategy seems to be working so far, with more than 300 million devices, including here both PCs and smartphones, currently running the operating system. The company is also set to deliver one major update for all devices next month, ahead of a second wave coming in spring 2017 together with a refreshed lineup of devices including the Surface Pro 5 and the Surface Book 2.